What It Is: BMW's popular 5-series, captured showing off its mid-cycle face lift for 2014. The refreshed 5er won’t make its public debut until late this spring, but this is a first glimpse at the modified front end, which will be applied to both the sedan and the station-wagon models, although the latter will continue to be left off U.S. order sheets. (The high-roof 5-series Gran Turismo will get a face lift as well.) The visual highlights of this nip and tuck will include updated headlights—with the option of full-LED units likely becoming available—as well as a slightly modified front fascia making use of a pair of smaller kidney grilles. Some engines will get minor tweaks (outlined below), and the iDrive infotainment system will be significantly upgraded to include the latest gadgets. This includes improved search functionality and enhanced interaction through additional apps.

Why It Matters: Three-and-a-half years after launching the F10 5-series, BMW needs to generate additional buzz in order to successfully compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-class—which just went through an extensive face lift itself—intended to correct a number of stylistic blunders—as well as the back-to-back 10Best-winning Audi A6. In addition to keeping up with the competition, BMW wishes to homogenize its and styling elements and available trims across its entire lineup. We expect to see a standard 5-series; a contemporarily trimmed Modern Line; a traditional Luxury Line, which is the model spotted here; and possibly a Sport Line. An M Sport package, offered on the current car with a stiffer suspension and aesthetic upgrades, is a given.

Platform: The rear- and all-wheel-drive F10 platform, which is shared with the F12/F13 6-series and the F06 6-series Gran Coupé, will carry on unchanged underneath all 5-series variants. The electronic tweaks mentioned above soon will be incorporated into the 6-series, too, in the near future.

CHRIS DOANE AUTOMOTIVE, THE MANUFACTURER

Powertrains: We expect BMW to upgrade both the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 with slightly more power than their current 300- and 445-hp figures. The model designation of the six-cylinder 535i may be scrapped in favor of 540i. Such a change wouldn’t make any difference to enthusiasts, as neither designation bears any relation to the actual engine displacement, but it would bring the 5er inline with the brand’s six-cylinder nomenclature for the 6- and 7-series. The 240-hp 2.0-liter four in the 528i won’t receive any updates, nor will the 335-hp powertrain used in the ActiveHybrid 5. According to a BMW presentation last year, the brand will introduce a diesel option to the 5-series this fall. Whether the Bavarian marque decides to use an ultra-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder or its ubiquitous 3.0-liter straight six remains to be seen.

Competition: Audi A6, Cadillac CTS, Lexus GS, Mercedes-Benz E class.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The 2014 BMW 5-series will hit dealerships in the fall of this year. Pricing should hold fairly steady against that of the current car, which starts at $48,695.